"So plentiful and so sweet they make this a land of delight," an early
settler wrote of the gemlike wild strawberries that "brightened whole New
England hillsides and scented whole valleys." Often called "meadow
berries," this "especial species" still persists untamed in rural areas
throughout the country, the exquisite little berries a forager's delight
and their leaves so fragrant that their hiding places among other plants
in the shade of pine or beech woods can often be smelled out. Wild
strawberries are, in fact, responsible for the strawberry clan's Latin
name Fragaria (fragrant) that Linnaeus gave it over two centuries ago,
although the fragrance has been all but bred out of today's garden
strawberries.
Wild strawberries consist of some 35
species, but only four or five were prominently involved in the breeding
of modern strawberries and just two of these are much grown today. The two
important species are:
FRAGARIA VIRGINIANA. The wild
strawberry of North America is a low-growing plant 4 to 8 inches high.
Much used in strawberry breeding, it has small, very sweet fruit, but its
little hull makes it difficult to prepare. This berry has to be gathered
in the wild, for, to my knowledge, no nurseries offer it in the U.S.
Unlike most small strawberries, it propagates itself by runner plants,
which can be collected and transplanted in the home garden. It is the
sweetest-smelling strawberry of all and when domesticated the berries can
grow almost a quarter of the size of regular strawberries. Wild
strawberries are acid-loving plants and even do well cultivated under
blueberry bushes. Soon their runners make a thick ground cover that turns
a soft red in autumn. Thin out the plants to assure a good crop of the
soft, sweet, rather shapeless fruit and cultivate them the same as any
strawberry.
FRAGARIA VESCA. This is the famous French
species fraise des bois native to Europe and much cultivated there. Also
widely used in strawberry breeding, especially in developing everbearers,
it is a hairy plant 9 to 12 inches high with thin, light green leaves. Its
fruit is small, rarely an inch long, and hemispheric or slightly
elongated. Fraise des bois is offered by several nurseries;
excellent plants can be ordered from White Flower Farm, Litchfield,
Connecticut 06759. This nursery offers plants from French stock called
Charles V, after the French ruler who in 1365 had his gardeners transplant
wild strawberries from the woods and cultivate them in the gardens of Louvre. Several other nurseries offer seed for propagating the Fragaria
vesca species, which is also called the Alpine strawberry and bear
their little berries from the end of June until frost. The usually
runnerless Alpines are considered the tastiest of strawberries and are
available in at least six different varieties:
. Baron von Solemacher. The first widely available Alpine
strawberry, this variety bears large red berries up to 1 - inches in
length on plants about 8 inches tall. Dean's Improved Strain of Baron von
Solemacher is a more rugged plant with the same-sized berries.
. Harzland. A good producer that bears red berries about one
inch long and - inch in diameter.
. Ruegen Improved. Large bright red, conical
berries with great flavor and fragrance.
. Alexandria. The newest variety of Alpine
strawberry, an excellent cropper with the largest red berries of all on a
plant that grows about ten inches tall and is very hardy.
. Yellow Alpine. Decidedly different for its
pale yellow fruit, which has the same delicious flavor as other Alpines -
even better, to some. Recently a white-fruited type has been developed
from these.
. Cresta. This plant is the
only Alpine offered that reproduces itself by runners. It has
average-sized red fruit and handsome leaves variegated with white that
make an excellent ground cover.
STARTING ALPINE STRAWBERRIES
Alpine strawberries of all types are usually grown from seed, which is
offered by many nurseries, but plants can be purchased from Burpee and
other garden catalogs. The seeds are generally sown indoors at least six
weeks before the last frost. Since Alpine strawberry seed is very small
and germination may be poor, take care in sowing it. Try sowing thinly in
vermiculite, or in a thin layer of vermiculite spread over a pot filled
with commercial potting soil. Or just press the seed lightly into fine
soil and water carefully through a newspaper. Set in a sunny window, or
under lights, the seed will germinate in from 10 to l4 days. Transplant
the seedlings into peat pots when they make their first true leaves and
grow them either in a window with at least a half day's sun, or under
lights, feeding them bi-weekly with balanced water-soluble plant food at
half strength. Plant the Alpines outside in early spring under the same
conditions as you would regular strawberries. The plants, however, are so
small that they are good for a rock garden and make neat flower-garden
borders. Their small size also makes these highly ornamental plants well
suited for container planting in hanging baskets, strawberry barrels, and
strawberry jars.
CARE AND PROPAGATION OF ALPINES
Alpines are hardy perennials that bear their little berries all season
long, and they generally fruit the same year that you start them from
seed. They are very drought tolerant, especially if mulched, and can stand
slight shade. The only real difference between Alpines and regular
strawberries is that most Alpines, as noted, do not usually propagate
themselves by runners. The plants seed themselves in the garden and can
also be increased by division every 2 to 3 years. Divide them in early
spring. you'll notice that after a year or so plants will have two or
three crowns. These are separated to double or triple the number of
plants. As noted, Alpines are cultivated almost exactly the same way as
regular strawberries, but the plant's leaves (not the crowns) are usually
sheared every spring to increase productivity, while for bigger berries
all but one or two trusses of flowers are picked out.
A dozen Alpine strawberry plants will yield a decent harvest, but plant as
many as you have room for - you'll never get enough of them. The gourmet
berries slip off the calyx and don't have to be hulled like American wild
strawberries. They keep well. Since the berry flavor is very concentrated,
a small basket of Alpines seem a lot. Just a little sugar added to them a
few hours before eating brings out all their delicious juices and they are
better for jam making than garden strawberries because of their higher
pectin content.